Sinking into Places Unknown
by Sorceress Fantasia
Summary: Wufei is a taxi driver who has been forced to drive full day shifts, and he keeps fetching this braided man who wants to go to the same place every night.


Title: Sinking into Places Unknown 

Author: Sorceress Fantasia

Pairings: 1x2, 1xR, 5+M 

Warnings: Death, Angst, implied NCS, slight Heero bastardization, supernatural, AU, OOC-ness (Hey, it's an AU fic, remember?)

Disclaimers: No matter how much I cry and beg, the characters do not belong to me. They belong to those rich guys/companies whose houses and offices I can get lost in. Yeah, that big. This is merely a fanfic written for enjoyment.

Note: Fusion with a TV movie (yeah, TV movie. A movie, but is shown on TV only) whose name has been forgotten. Gomen. ^_^;; Anyway, from what I've noticed, one taxi is usually shared among a few drivers, so they have the car by shifts. If I got this fact wrong, then please ignore it. ^_^;;

"Work harder she says. Why don't she do it herself?" Wufei muttered indignantly under his breath, and he tried to take a large gulp of his Coco Cola. However, only a few drops of the brown beverage trickled down to his throat. With a few choice words, he dropped the can and kicked the can irately with perfect precision. Still sulking, he walked towards the office near the taxi rank.

Without so much as a knock, he pushed the wooden mahogany door open and entered. Dorothy, the receptionist, glanced up from her phone at the intrusion. She murmured into the phone a while more, and hang up. 

"What are you doing here, Wufei?" Her tone was clearly one that was tired of talking. With this man, in particular. 

"I want to see Quatre. Now." 

She rolled her eyes and blew her bangs in aggravation. Quatre was not paying her enough to deal with this. "Look, I have told you this before and this is the… ah, crap, I've lost count… Anyway, you can't just meet Quatre anytime you want to, okay?! You have to make an appointment!" 

Before she could go on, Quatre's voice came through Dorothy's phone. "It's okay, Dor. Let Wufei in now." 

'I guess it's the privilege of being the boss' childhood friend.' Dorothy sighed. She fixed the Chinese man one last glare, to which Wufei smirked at, and allowed him access to Quatre's private office. 

***** 

"Is there anything I can help you with, Wufei?" Quatre smiled good-naturedly to the Chinese man sitting across him. 

Wufei frowned and slumped in his seat. "Quatre…" He stifled a sigh, and sat up. "I'm sorry I wrecked the last taxi I borrowed from you. I…" 

"It's okay. I know you didn't mean it. It doesn't really put a dent in my company. We still have enough cars to spare." 

Wufei's frown deepened. "No, that's not all. I… I need another one to drive." 

"Sure, you can take another one." 

"Can I… take the taxi… for the whole day… from now on?" Wufei asked, a little embarrassed by his own request. It sounded stupid in his own ears, even. Who would be stupid enough to rent a car to someone who had just destroyed one? 

"Whole day?" Quatre leaned forward, his jaws a little slack. 

"I know it's against the company's rules, but I really need the extra cash." Wufei explained abruptly. 

Quatre quickly shook his head. "No, you got me wrong. I wasn't thinking about the company, really. I am the boss, after all, and rules are made to be broken." He grinned. Most people thought that he was the epitome of all goodness, but his expression spoke otherwise. "I was just wondering… Are you sure you can drive the whole day? You've always hated driving." 

"I haven't got a choice now. Meiran wants me to. She blew her top when she checked our joint account." 

"Ooohhh." Quatre winced. As much as Meiran was a good person, he knew how bad a tantrum she could throw. The saying 'Hell hath no fury like a woman's scorn', did her, as Wufei always said, no justice. "If you're sure about this, then fine. You can have the car for this week." He held up a hand when Wufei started to protest, and added, "Wait, listen to me. If you can't tolerate it after this week, I can give you something else to do. If you decide that you are able to take it, then you may continue driving the taxi. Take this week as a test drive." 

"Fine." 

***** 

For the next few days, all went well. Wufei would drive from early morning to the wee hours, and the money he pulled in was enough to sustain himself and let his bank account look a bit better to Meiran. It was exhausting, he had to admit, but there wasn't anything else he could do. His low education level was a big no-no in many bosses' eyes, and he didn't want to put up with the sometimes unreasonable demands of some customers as a sales assistant. He tried it once, and was fired on the spot when he called the female customer 'idiotic onna'. The look on the woman's face was nearly worth the lecture he got from Meiran when he returned home though. He snickered. 

That was when he noticed someone trying to hail a taxi standing near the roadside a little down the street. Not wanting to miss an opportunity to make money, he quickly pulled over. When the person got in the backseat, Wufei felt an acute chilly dampness wash over him that made his hair stand on ends but he shrugged it off to weariness. He asked, "Where are you headed to?" 

"…Bradbury park." 

Raising an eyebrow, Wufei nearly asked his passenger if she knew what time it was. Goodness, it was nearly 2am in the morning! But then he decided that it wasn't really his business anyway, so he started to drive. Going against his usual practice of ignoring his passengers, Wufei took a peek at the person through his rearview mirror. 

The person's complexion had a translucent glow that seemed eerily flawless in the orangey beams of the streetlights. A black narrow ruff flared out from her throat and rose higher in the back, enhancing the beauty of her heart-shaped face. A blossom of rose bloomed in her delicately boned cheeks, going well with her pink hue lips. Her hair was a beauty by itself. Her bangs were jagged, but still neat in an odd sense. Her braided chestnut locks had a rich shine, and rested over her chest in a tight rope. But her most astounding features were her eyes. They were an elusive shade of violet, the most precious of amethyst. Yet, they seemed dull and perhaps, dead. Even though he was already engaged to Meiran, he felt a strange attraction to this colleen. 

Wufei quickly looked away when he noticed that she became aware of his obviously not-so-discreet stare. He gave a nervous cough. 

"Why are you still driving at this hour?" Her low baritone voice nearly misled Wufei into thinking that she was a boy. Her voice was very calm, and very cold, like shards of ice hung onto her every word. 

The Chinese boy answered offhandedly, "Just trying to make more money. My girlfriend wasn't too happy that I used up a good portion of our funds that was supposed to finance our wedding, so she's making me work doubly hard." 

"Why not get another job at night? The money you get from driving can't be that good to drive day and night." 

"I can't. Even if I want to, no one in their right mind wouldn't employ me. I'm a high school drop out." Wufei stated absently as he stopped at the red lights. Usually, he didn't care much about traffic lights this late when there were practically no cars on the street, but his last accident had apparently taken its toll on him. That and the fact that he had a premonition that this girl wouldn't like it. "Enough about me. What about you? What's a girl doing going out this late? Or should I say, early?" 

"…I'm a guy." 

Wufei grimaced, but kept his composure cool. "Sorry. Erm, what're you doing out here then?" 

"…Just taking a stroll." The boy said in a tone that plainly put a stop to this part of their conversation. "You should stop driving this late. It's dangerous." 

"How dangerous can it be? There's almost no cars on the street." 

"I'm not talking about the traffic. The people you pick up could be. You should find another job." 

"Like you?" Wufei shrugged carelessly. Was this guy the devil's advocate or what? "Look. I understand that people that hang out this late can't be all that good, but I really can't find another job. It's not like I've never tried before." Silence reigned for a moment before Wufei heaved a sigh of relief as the car came to a halt. "Ahh, there we are. Bradbury Park. Is it okay for you to alight here?" 

"It's fine." The boy handed over the money, and an envelope. "Would you be so kind as to help me deliver this letter? I'm sure you pass by this apartment frequently. And please, give it to him personally." 

Wufei stashed the money in a compartment, and took a glimpse at the envelope. It was a pristine white, and it was addressed to someone living in an apartment not too far away from his own. The packet was definitely dry, yet it felt strangely moist to his touch. "Okay, I'll take it to him tomorrow. But why can't you give it to him yourself? 

The person wavered, but decided to let Wufei know. "He doesn't want to see me. And I don't want anyone else seeing the letter before he does, so I can't drop it in the letter box." 

"Well then, I guess I'll help you." 

The person nodded, and alighted fluidly. This time, Wufei finally noticed that the mysterious boy wore a garb of all coal black. Black shirt with a ruff, black pants that flared out in the middle section, and black boots. The only thing that wasn't that colour was a golden cross resting on his chest. He was about to go into the park when Wufei inquired his name. 

A ghost of a smile fluttered across his lips. "My name is Duo. Duo Maxwell." He spun around, sparing Wufei one last glance, looking over his shoulders. "And thanks for the ride… Wufei." And he disappeared into the dark veil of the park. 

***** 

The next morning, Wufei walked over to the address that was written clearly on the letter. When he arrived, he found it hard to stop gaping at the lavish decorations and luxurious lifestyle the residents must lead. The place was tastefully designed and he soon found himself green with envy, and rather self-conscious. 

He quickly stepped into the elevator. The faster he got this over with, the faster he could leave. At the thirteenth floor, he searched a little and soon found the place he was looking for. 

With a ring of the doorbell, the door burst open to reveal a young woman and a little girl who looked like she was only a few years old. She had short crisp dark hair and wide innocent eyes that shone with a hint of mischief. Seeing the stranger at the door, she tugged gently on her mother's dress. Her mother was a beauty. Her wheat coloured hair caressed her back in a neat ponytail secured at her nape, its colour contrasting wonderfully with her blue sapphire eyes, bringing out the sparkle of those beautiful orbs. Her favourite colour was apparently pink, for she wore an entire ensemble of it. Even her apron was pink. Her brows furrowed when she saw Wufei, and she placed a protective hand on the child. 

"Yes? Is there anything I can do for you?" 

Wufei took a glimpse at the envelope in hand, and replied, "Is there a Heero Yuy living here? I have a letter for him." 

"Oh. He's in the room. I can give it to him later." 

Wufei shook his head succinctly. "Sorry, but I have to give it to him personally." 

"Then…" She looked down to her child. "Hilde darling, can you go ask daddy to come here?" 

The child nodded vigorously at having something to do and she dashed into the house, all the while screaming for her father. Moments later, a gruff voice rang out. 

"Who's at the door, Relena?" 

The woman, Relena, turned back to face her husband. "Oh, someone has a letter for you, Heero, and he wants to hand it to you personally." 

A young man arrived at the door, and waved Relena off. He had unruly dark brown hair that fell into his everlasting pools of sharp cobalt, so sharp that Wufei was sure they could pierce metal. He wore an attire that spoke of his high ranking office career, and an air of indifference. This man was undoubtedly Heero Yuy. 

"What letter?" 

Wufei held it out with ill concealed contempt. He didn't like this Heero Yuy. Not one bit. "Some passenger of mine last night asked me to hand this over to you." 

Heero seized it, and nearly slammed the door in Wufei's face with an almost inaudible 'thank you'. 

It took all the self-control Wufei had to stop himself from barging into the apartment and tear the place to shreds. 

***** 

That night, Wufei was driving around town aimlessly. The night was still unfruitful; the number of passengers he had couldn't justify the taxi's fuel cost. Maybe it was just too late. Most people were curled up in their bed and fast asleep at 2am in the morning. He was about to call it a night and return home when he saw someone flagging him down. When he got nearer, he noticed it was Duo. 

As he got in, Wufei offered him a little smile, to which Duo returned. Yet his smile was so very wistful. Wufei was about to ask him when Duo interrupted with a question. 

"Did Heero receive my letter?" His voice was hopeful, though this hopefulness was marred by his straight expression. 

"Yeah, I went over this morning. And he was being an absolute jerk, I tell you." Wufei griped, and he proceeded to tell Duo exactly what happened, and how rude Heero was. His face was flush by the time he finished. 

"…Is that so? I'm not surprised though." Duo affirmed dryly. 

Wufei bit back a vicious command with a start, and pounded on the steering wheel. "God, I forgot to ask you where you wanted to go! And I've just been driving around! Sorry!" 

Duo shook his head. "No, it's okay. Take me to Bradbury Park, please." 

The Chinese boy cocked his eyebrow, and looked into the rearview mirror. "Again?" 

Duo chose not to answer. 

Wufei shrugged it off and kept his eyes on the street. 

"I thought I told you to stop driving at night?" 

The braided boy's sudden question nearly caught him off guard. Plus the fact that he caught some annoyance in his tone, Wufei's response was slower than he normally was. "What? Oh. Well, like I said before, I need the money and I can't find employment elsewhere. So I'm stuck with the wheel." 

Duo tucked a stray lock behind his ear, and crossed his hands. "…If you don't stop, you will surely run into trouble soon." 

"I'll take it as it comes, I guess." Wufei shrugged. 

"Having no plans for emergencies can be a very bad idea." Duo chided unperturbedly, as a ghastly cloudiness haunted his eyes. 

"You sound like you've been through it before." Wufei scoffed as he made a turn, looking at the side mirror. 

Duo never replied. 

***** 

Morning arrived like it always did, much to Wufei's chagrin. His annoyance led to the destruction of his alarm clock, the third in just five days. With a groan, he flipped out of bed and prepared himself for another lengthy and exhausting day. 

The only thing that perked him up was the possibility of meeting the enigma that was Duo Maxwell. His sixth sense told him that Duo was dangerous, that he should avoid him as much as possible, but his mind thought otherwise. Duo looked so delicate, so vulnerable. His frosty exterior was most probably caused by some emotional scar. From the way things looked, that scar could have been because of a jerk whose name Wufei decided to forget but it starts with an H anyway. 

Fate could have been the vindictive bastard people said it was at that moment, for Heero Yuy walked into the cafeteria Wufei was having breakfast at. He scanned the place for a seat, and his line of vision landed on Wufei. With crisp steps, he made a beeline for the Chinese boy, and slid into the seat opposite of his. 

"Hey! You…" Wufei groused irately as an incredulous frown set into his face. 

Heero took no notice of his exasperation. He glowered grimly, and slapped the letter Wufei had passed to him just yesterday on the table with a loud slam. Heads turn to witness the commotion, but quickly turned back when they noticed Heero's glare. 

"Whom did you get this from?" He queried solemnly, his voice kept low. 

Wufei cocked an eyebrow at his insolence, and countered tersely, "From a passenger of mine two days ago. He told me to give this to you personally, so I did." All the while, he kept his eyes on Heero's, meeting glare for glare. 

"Who is he?" 

"A boy called Duo Maxwell." 

The name was like a pummel to his face as he slumped in his chair, eyes wide and jaws slack. "What?" 

Wufei snorted, "Duo Maxwell." His cockiness didn't last long, for Heero was immediately up on his feet and hands on his collar. 

"Where is he?!" Heero barked harshly, voice hoarse. 

The Chinese man struggled to get away, and managed to get Heero to loosen his grip by a timely punch to his abdomen. With one hand over their respective bruises, Heero and Wufei agreed to sit down and talk. Although Wufei radiated reluctance, Heero was adamant. 

"I told you before. He's a passenger I picked up two nights ago. He flagged me down for a ride somewhere near…Huxford Street and alighted at Bradbury Park." Wufei snarled not too kindly, hands crossed. 

Heero thought for a moment. "Did you see him again?" 

Nod. "Yeah. I met him again last night. Same pick-up point, same destination too." 

At Heero's prodding, he continued, "He asked me if you received the letter. That's all." 

Apparently hearing enough, Heero pushed away from the table and stood up. "I'd advice you to stay away from Duo." Smacking a ten-dollar bill on the tabletop, he turned away. 

Wufei fumed inwardly. "Like you do?!" He snapped, as he stood up as well. 

***** 

Nighttime. Darkness shrouded the skies like a blanket, the backdrop so void of glittery diamonds. Only the silver celestial globe shone dimly with an ominous glow. All was still; even the mating calls of crickets could not be heard, like they were holding their breath in anticipation of something. Something uncanny, something… fatal. 

Wufei drove down Huxford Street, determined to find Duo again. He was going to prove Heero Yuy wrong. Dead wrong. Perhaps luck was on his side this time, for it wasn't long before he spotted the braided mystery standing at the exact place he had stood for the last two nights. 

"Hey Duo. Going to Bradbury again?" He asked sanguinely as he drove off immediately after Duo got in. 

"I thought I told you to stop driving at night?" 

Wufei sighed. As much as Duo was interesting, his question was stale. "Duo, I told you already…" 

"You should be punished for disobeying me…" A smile. 

***** 

Quatre was going through his documents when his door was thrown open. He looked up, and smiled gently. "Is anything wrong, Trowa?" 

"Wufei took one of the taxis." The newcomer noted, his face deadpan. 

The blonde nodded curtly, "Yeah, I lent it to him. I'm sure we have enough taxis available for ourselves, so I lent him one. Apparently, Meiran's not too happy with the near 'liquidation' of their funds." When Trowa, his assistant, continued to stand in his office like a statue, he knitted his brows. "Anything's… wrong?" He gestured with his hands. 

"Wufei took one of the taxis." He repeated. "He's the last one to rent one from us in the last few days." 

"So?" 

"I counted the cars just a while ago." 

Quatre narrowed his eyes and cocked his head. "And?" 

"The number's the same." 

"What do you mean?" He was almost afraid to ask. 

"There's still 34 taxis available, even after Wufei drove off." 

***** 

"What?" The word barely got out of Wufei's mouth before the whole vehicle went out of control. It spun around like a compass surrounded by magnets, then zoomed off for a wild coaster roller ride. The car sped through the night soundlessly, its wheels hovering slightly above the ground. It turned at the most unholy angles, sending the Chinese man thrown around violently in his seat. 

"The hell's going on?" Wufei shouted fearfully, as he hung onto his seat with a death grip for dear life. Only the spine-tingling laughter of Duo's could be heard. 

"I told you! This is your punishment!" Duo's voice rose a few notches from its previous softness, and he was still laughing. 

When the car stopped, Wufei grabbed his chest, willing his heart to stop pounding painfully. His knuckles were white, his face pale. A sheen of cold perspire covered his forehead, slowly dripping down. His eyes fluttered open by their own accord, and he scrutinized the surroundings. "Bradbury Park…?" He choked. His bewilderment increased ten fold when he saw Duo out of the car. He had not even heard the sound of the car door opening and closing! 

Duo was standing near the side mirror nearer the driver's seat, looking into the distance. He turned and offered Wufei a ghost of a smile as he spoke, "Yes. We're in Bradbury Park." He pointed to a small pond nearby, and asked, "See that pond?" 

Wufei looked in the direction Duo pointed to. Indeed, there was a pond. If he had his facts right, that pond was called 'Lover's Lake', and was a popular dating venue for couples in the evening. It was deep and rather big, and was used as a leisure fishing spot in the day. However, the pond had been contaminated a few years ago by things unknown and became murky and ugly. "Yes…" 

Duo leaned into the window, closer to the fear stricken man, and whispered into his face, "That's where I died." 

The Chinese man gasped, and ducked away, pushing himself as far away from Duo as possible. "You… you…" Words died in his throat when he noticed for the first time how translucent Duo was under the eerie moonlight. 

"As a matter of fact, I died… in the very vehicle you have been driving for the past five days," The phantom's smile lingered as Wufei's face became more and more ashen as he spoke. "I needed the car, but you took it… day… and night. I needed the car to find Heero, but you… disturbed my peace. I handed you the letter, but apparently Heero didn't read it. He didn't come here last night… And it's all your fault…" The smile faded away. 

Wufei tugged at the door desperately, but it didn't even budge. He tried to slam it open, but to no avail either. Neither was the window working. 

"Afraid, aren't you? I was the same in the last few moments of my life… struggling for all I was worth…" He would have continued speaking, had a voice not interrupted. 

"DUO!!!" 

The said ghost whizzed about as a cobalt-eyed man ran towards him. "Ahh… you're finally here, Heero… I've missed you…" 

Heero stopped a good distance away, never panting as he stood there gazing at Duo. "Duo love…" 

That sparked the spirit's wrath, and he bellowed, "How dare you call me that after you betrayed me!? Did you even think of me all these years?!" 

Heero frowned, and he looked away. However, an invisible force lifted his chin, and he found himself staring straight into Duo's fury laden orbs. He nearly cringed from those eyes he had loved so very deeply before. 

"Why!? Why didn't you come here three years ago when I asked you out?" Duo's voice was dripping with icy venom, so different from the one he was used to. 

Wufei looked at the scene unfolding before him with apprehension, and he had to admit, paralyzing fear. Duo was like a dynamite, and if Heero said the wrong things… there probably wouldn't be enough of the both of them for burial. And that was if anyone knew they were dead. Perhaps there was a chance though. Apparently, Heero and Duo knew each other a long way back. Wufei hoped against all hope that Duo would let them go on account of that relationship. 

Heero swallowed the lump in his throat, remembering all those times they had shared before. 

***** 

*Start flashback* 

Heero didn't know what had possessed him to bring this young man back to his hotel room. He had just arrived at the airport on a business trip, when he noticed someone sitting on a bench outside. He was hunched over, his head buried in his arms like he was crying. Curiosity made him help the young man, he supposed. But curiosity couldn't have made him bring the man to his hotel room when he found out that the man had just lost his bags to a theft. 

"So what are you going to do now, Duo?" Heero asked. 

Duo shook his head. "I don't know. I can't go back to the countryside. I've no place to stay, no friends, no family back there. And I can't find a job. I have to stay here, but I don't know how." He replied, his voice catching. 

Then he had offered to help Duo find a job and a place to stay. That was when he decided that he like his arms full of the braided bundle, as Duo bounced into his arms to express his gratitude. Even if he had a pretty wife back home, she couldn't be compare to the braided beauty's attractiveness. 

Over the next few days, Heero was completely taken by Duo. He was energetic, he was cute, he was wonderful… he was everything he ever wanted in his soul mate, everything his wife was not. And the thing he liked about him the most, was that Duo never argued with him. Even when he had requested Duo's presence in his bed, Duo gave in. 

That first experience was addictive, and Heero wanted more. A week after he had arrived in the hotel, he left for home, with Duo in tow. Duo had been most willing to go with him, even when he knew Heero was married. 

Once they arrived at Heero's hometown, Heero had immediately purchased a small apartment some distance away from his own, and moved his lover in. Their time together became more and more, until Heero finally started to stay overnight with him. Sometimes Heero would stay with his lover for days and never return home. Both of them were happy with their lives, loving each other. They dined together, bathed together, had fun together, slept together. Nothing could be better, he had thought. 

Heero was seriously contemplating getting a divorce with his wife when the news struck. She was pregnant. And his company was in shambles due to a wrong investment. 

Responsibility tied him down, and his visits to Duo became lesser and lesser. Eventually, he stopped seeing Duo altogether, and in desperation, sold Duo's apartment to support his company. 

Left with nothing, Duo had left him with a message to meet near Lover's Lake at night to talk things over. However, his wife suddenly went into labor and his appointment with Duo slipped his mind. After that night, he lost touch with his lover completely. 

*End flashback* 

***** 

"Answer me, Heero! WHY?!" 

Heero swallowed. "Duo, I'm sorry… I was having problems with Relena when I first met you… then she was pregnant with my child. I can't leave her alone…" 

Duo barked out a callous laugh, and he looked down. "And I could?! So I was just the first warm body you could find!? That everything we ever shared was a lie!?" He brought his head up with a snap to glare murderously at his ex-lover. "You know I *hate* liars!" With a shout, Heero was thrown into the backseat of the taxi as the door flew open and snapped shut.  
  


Both Heero and Wufei flinched from the impact, and the vehicle started to shake violently, rising into the air. Duo materialized suddenly by their side, returning to his calm composure he had shown Wufei for the past two days. 

"Heero… I died in the Lover's Lake, you know that?" 

"Duo?! I didn't know! I'm sorry! I…" 

A slap on his face shook his world, and his mind spun like a roulette. The braided boy fixed him with a lethal gaze that seemed so empty, his voice hollow as he continued, "That night… I came for our appointment by taking a cab. There was another passenger, and he wanted to go to the same place as I did, so we shared the cab. When I arrived, the driver and his friend attacked me, and they took me forcefully, repeatedly. I screamed for help, but no one came to my aid. Where were you when I needed you the most?!" He spoke louder and louder, then he calmed down unexpectedly. "You know where they toyed with me? Here, right where you are sitting now, Heero." 

The cobalt-eyed man blenched, and scooted further away. Wufei winced, and tried to move away as well. 

"Yes… right here… After they had their share of fun at my expanse, they locked me in and pushed the car into the pond… leaving my battered body and soul to rot in the frosty depths of the waters…" Duo finished with a hint of anger at his murderers. "Heero, you love me, don't you?" He smiled sinisterly, and as sudden as it appeared, the smile vanished, only to be replaced by a vicious, petrifying stare. "Then you will have to share my pain and my sorrow!" 

With that, Duo flung the entire car into the pond resolutely. The car crashed into the tranquil surface headfirst, rousing the still water to splash up onto the shore. It sunk like a rock attached to lead, and finally anchored itself deeply into the mud of the bank. Heero and Wufei pushed against the doors with renewed vigor, slamming their bodies into the metal. They both winced at the pain emitting from their sides, but kept on. Then, they were straining to breathe, for the car's engine had been shut down sometime during their conversation with the specter. Even so, their efforts did not ceased. Instead, their desperation fuelled their desire to escape. 

Duo sat beside them, all the while laughing at their antics. "Forget it. Save your efforts and come join me." 

Wufei turned to him. "Why are you doing this?!" 

The braided ghoul stared at him as if he had made the understatement of the year. "Revenge, of course." He stated tersely, insanity dancing in his eyes. 

"Did you not love Heero once? So why are you hurting him?" 

Duo growled resentfully, "He hurt me!" 

"You're right, but if you truly loved him, you overlook his faults, you make excuses for his mistakes! What he does to you should never change your love for him! Ask yourself this: did you love him? Or were you in love with love?" Wufei challenged. "Being in love isn't a constant. People fall in and out of love all the time. But loving someone, that can't die!" 

Duo glared at him, but the tears gathering in his eyes couldn't be mistaken for anything else. "I'm in love with him. My heart beats faster when he's near, and I dream of holding him and being held in return. Even when he makes me mad, I know deep inside me the bond I have to him will never break. What I feel for Heero is not a passion of the heart… it's a passion of the soul." 

"Duo…" Heero trailed off, his heart sinking deeper into a dark chasm of guilt as Duo's words struck him. 

As suddenly as the car was thrown into the water, it surfaced. Heero and Wufei seized the opportunity to kick the doors open and swam to the shore. Slowly, they pushed themselves out of the pond and lay on the grass patch, panting arduously. Then, they noticed Duo's fading form standing near. 

"Maybe all I've ever wanted…" Duo's eyes were brimming with tears, and he stood vulnerably. His mouth never moved, but his voice rang out loud and clear in their ears. "…was to see you again, Heero." His form was becoming more transparent with every word. 

'Love you…' He mouthed, before he disappeared completely, his body crumpling into a pile of glimmering stardust. His golden cross fell to the ground with a crisp thud. 

Wufei looked on in the air, at the apparition that had disappeared. 'Maybe ahead of the 'hell' you saw in the afterlife, there might be a place with light waiting for you. I hope you find that place, Duo.' 

"I love you too, Duo." Heero whispered forlornly as he held Duo's cross close to his heart, a lone tear streaking down his cheek. 

A warm breeze carried the stardust towards the moon, where sounds of soft giggling could be heard. 

~ Owari ~ 

**Author's notes**: _C&C craved! This is such a big break from all my other fics! Any encouragements? ^^ _

Sorceress Fantasia @ 30th March 2002 


End file.
